


MGE: Unification

by ImPrettySlow



Category: Monster Girl Encyclopedia
Genre: F/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-03-09 03:32:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18908680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImPrettySlow/pseuds/ImPrettySlow
Summary: Set one month after the rise of the new Demon Lord, and the subsequent fall of Lescatie. Travolc Swordhaven, a Monster researcher and a member of the Order, was forced to retire from his work when Monsters were turned into Mamonos. With nothing left from his research that proved useful, as well as the fall of his nation, he decided to venture out into the world with a new goal: Mamono Research. Together with Asmodeia, a Succubus captain, and her subordinates, Bea and Annellia, the researcher braves the coming of the new Age.But little did he know, the shadows know of his past, and they are waiting. Ready to strike at him and those who know him, intent on killing a "Saint".





	1. Something New

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing. Never finished a work before, but I'd be glad if I can finish this one. 
> 
> I continue this piece whenever I can, regardless of whether I'm out of it or not, so expect to see a lot of tweaks here and there even after the chapter has been posted, all for the hope of a better delivery of my story.
> 
> Feedback will always be appreciated.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get introduced to our main characters, as well as lay down the setting of the story

**1.**

  
With a heave, the man carried a large stack of books and parchments, and took each one to feed the flames in his fireplace. He was wearing a plain white shirt, along with some trousers and shoes that were both the color of brown. He had short black hair, and his bangs a little over his icy-blue eyes.

He was in a dirty room, with a lot of literature stacked from the floor to the ceiling. It had a singular desk at the far corner south of him, which had a brown rucksack that was packed to the brim with necessities. An example would be the short sword sheathed in a leather scabbard at the front, a fishing rod attached on one side, and snow boots that hung on the other. There was also an unlit lantern beside it.

The windows were boarded up, and the door was blocked off with a lot of heavy furniture. The man acted like something, or someone, was chasing him. Whoever or whatever it was, he didn’t have much time.

The man looked through the titles of the next stack he planned on burning, and shook his head before carrying them and doing the same as earlier. “So far, none of these would seem useful as a guide for the new world.” He muttered. It had been a month since the ascent of the new Demon Lord, and the subsequent changes that followed. All of the monsters took on a new form that resembled women, and except for a few, most of the monsters engaged in a new kind of combat. According to an information trader, the new Demon Lord dictated to all monsters who were allied to her to stop killing the humans, and instead take the male population as husbands and breed with them.

While he understood that these intentions were to steer both sides to an era of peace, the sudden change only resulted in more confusion and hatred to arise among the ranks of the humans who fought the monsters, putting this vision at a risk of not being realized. That, or the Demon Lord might revoke her changes, and make the monsters deadlier and stronger instead. There was also the problem of monsterization, which is basically the conversion of anything non-monster into...well, monsters, and how this will affect the population of the other races in the future.

“Mamono, they’re called Mamono.” He reminded himself. They had new names now, and he repeatedly told himself that it’s only proper to refer to them appropriately. It took him a while, but after burning all the books save one, the man pulled a chair from under the lone table and sat down. He rummaged through his pack until he brought out a small bottle of ink, as well as a quill whose feather was an odd color of burgundy. He opened the book, and flipped through the pages until he landed on the next empty space. He uncorked the bottle, dipped the tip of his quill in it, and began writing.

 

_1st Month of the New Age,_

_My name is Travolc Swordhaven, a man of twenty years of age, and a former monster researcher. I currently live deep in the heart of Lescatie, and I shall consider this page my first entry in ‘celebration’ of the ascent of the new Demon Lord, and her changes regarding the monsters that we fought and hated._

_Lescatie was a great nation of renown that is under the banner of The Order, until a week ago, when the Lilim Druella invaded and put the kingdom to its knees. It is still currently hectic, and I fear that it will stay this way for a while, and so I take this as a chance to go out and travel across the continent and start my research anew. That, and I fear of being enslaved here forever. My soul yearns for freedom now that my work is practically useless, after all. I cannot stay here._

_I live on the continent of ‘Luppah’, the largest continent this side of the world. As I’ve said before, Lescatie is a kingdom found in Luppah and operates under the banner of The Order, which is half a religion, and a culture that promote anti-Monster activities. To describe it in a simplistic, but vastly incorrect way because of the recent change, The Order are the good guys, whilst the Mamono are the bad guys._

_But back to the topic, I plan to start over with my research. I have sworn to myself that with the new age, I must change my ways of acquiring knowledge. I plan to leave my past behind, and enjoy this newfound chance of discovery. I do not know where it may lead me, and how I will go about it, but that is part of the plan. I will be cutting this introductory passage short, as I fear that the Mamono may have started to pick up my scent after masking it with a heavy spray of liquified garlic, so let me say this._

_To whoever reads this, change might seem scary, but it is how we humans are. We are not born to live comfortably, as we thrive in the struggle. Come what may, accept it, and adapt. It is never late to learn new things. Besides, it’s fun, isn’t it?_

_-T. Swordhaven_

 

Rereading the page, Travolc deemed it decent enough as an introductory page, and stuffed it along with the quill and bottle of ink back in his bag. He stood up, and hearing footsteps aside, decided to move a lot more quietly. He quietly slipped the chair back under the desk, took his bag and the lantern, and moved back to front of the fireplace. He grabbed a bucket of water, and gingerly poured it over the fire, extinguishing the flames.

He was kicking the ash out of the fireplace, until the faint trace iron started to show. Travolc went at it a bit more until he found the handle, and reached for it before stopping short. “We know someone’s there! Open up, darling~ We just want to chat!” A female’s voice came from the door.

“ ‘We’?” Travolc thought to himself. Without another word, he lifted the iron trapdoor, going inside before dropping it rather loudly. Once in the underground passage, he brought up his lantern. He held a hand towards the lamp, closed his eyes, and uttered a spell.

 

“Basic Fire Spell: **Faerie Light**.”

 

A small fire appeared on his palm, casting a very dim light in what was otherwise a completely dark passageway. Travolc shot the fire towards the candle wick, which magically caught all of the flame and immediately illuminated a large amount of the passageway. It was so bright that Travolc couldn’t look at it directly, opting to put it on the metal hook that was on his belt.

“That merchant wasn’t kidding when they sold me this Flash Lamp.” He murmured to himself as he began to travel down the passageway, albeit in a rather brisk manner. A month before the emergence of the new Demon Lord and the invasion of Lescatie, he was planning to go towards the nearby mountains to research and update his notes regarding bat monsters, and happened across a man selling what he called “Flash Lamps”. They were basically lamps that were enchanted to increase the luminosity of the flame on its candle wick tenfold, hence where part of the name came from. It didn’t make the flame any hotter however, and so it can be treated as you would a normal lamp, only that it can temporarily blind you.

Travolc quietly went down the seemingly endless passageway, occasionally drinking water from his flask. Every so often, the ground above him shakes, and he is forced to stop. “...I should hurry.” He told himself, quickening his pace. He was aware that there were a lot of what he called “Sentry Mamono” that were basically monster girls who excel in at least one of three things; detection of sound, scent, and magic. There were also a lot of them that were capable of digging. One mistake, and he might find himself being chased down by hundreds of Mamono. This passageway that he built long ago wasn’t exactly a godsend either, as the only exit this place had was at the end, and there were at least a good three kilometers between him and said objective. At least, that’s what he hoped.

It had been an hour or so since he entered, and Travolc found himself staggering, feeling the sensation of being choked. He wasn’t exactly running out of oxygen, but it was the result of the magic power whatever Mamono had that was above him. He was also at the part of the passageway that was deepest, so it certainly unnerved him that something like raw magic power was reaching him all the way down here. “I need to cast a barrier…” He murmured, already threatening to fall on his knees due to the pressure. He gathered what focus he had, and a green light began surrounding him.

 

“Basic Wind Spell: **Gust Globe**.”

 

Magic turned into wind as it surrounded Travolc, and dispelled the intense magic aura that previously threatened to suffocate him. The researcher took in a deep breath, and continued forwards. In the back of his mind, he had a hunch that he was forgetting something, but decided to ignore the feeling and focus on getting to the exit. It’s still a long way, after all.

 

**~~~~~**

 

A Succubus, accompanied by a Golem and a Lizardman were patrolling the streets of what was once the great capital of Lescatie. After Druella’s invasion, which caused the imminent fall of the Kingdom as well as its greatest warriors, what was once one of the Order’s greatest stronghold is now the first influence of the Demon Realm on the continent. Everything teemed with demonic energy, and the feeling sent shivers up the Mamono’s spine. She would love to live here, in due time.

They were patrolling for the sole reason of rounding up any remaining people who might’ve avoided the initial effects of the invasion. While most were sure that most of the women have already been turned into Mamono themselves, the higher ups weren’t so convinced, and sent out patrols to do so. The succubus couldn’t blame them. After all, they were in a place where the greatest of what humankind had to offer were raised. Strong as Druella’s influence is, the stronger ones won’t let themselves be converted without her direct touch.

“Commander Asmodeia.” The Lizardmen stopped and turned towards the Succubus, saluting. She had long, chestnut colored hair that was tied into a ponytail by a red ribbon. Her eyes were the color of amber, and her scales were a beautiful color of periwinkle. She wore a brigandine that had the absence of pauldrons on it. A brown leather belt is tightly secured around her waist which also held her faulds. At the back of the belt was a scabbard that held her broadsword. She also had a vambrace on her right arm, but a bracer on her left which held her buckler. Her armor shared the color of her scales, which served as a nice compliment to her rosy skin.

The latter acknowledged her soldier’s call, curious at what the former had to say. “Are you certain that the higher ups wanted us to search for women to bring to Princess Druella, instead of men?” Her tone was harshly direct, but Asmodeia didn’t hate that. She was as skeptical as her soldier was.

“Yes, Amellia. The higher ups did not stutter when they announced our next assignment, as well as to the others who were present there.” She replied to the Lizardman, who nodded before they continued their patrols. She herself wanted to get this strange patrol duty taken care of as soon as possible as well, since there were so many men that they captured thanks to Druella, and she wanted to at least play with them before they go back to the main Castle. She looked around, and everywhere she could see Mamono playing with their captured prey, their faces full of pleasure. She bit her lip, eager to have her fill. She looked towards her two subordinates, who apparently shared her thoughts.

 

After reaching the end of their assigned path, Asmodeia was about to officially end their patrols when she picked up the small traces of magic being cast. What’s weird is that it came from beneath the ground. Was it a monster? She wasn’t so sure.

Amellia noticed this, “Is something the matter, Commander?” She asked her. The succubus replied with a nod.

“I’m picking up traces of magic beneath us.” She said, before turning to the Golem who had been quiet until now. “Bea, use Seismic Sense, and direct it at least a hundred feet underground.” She ordered.

The Golem had green eyes that were now glowing, as well as sand colored hair. She had tan skin and aside from being in her underwear that was the color of brown, she had odd pieces of stone attached to various parts of her body, making up her “armor”.

“Understood.” She said, kneeling and putting her hand on the ground. She closed her eyes, and silence hovered over the group for a little while, broken only by the occasional moaning of Mamonos around them.

“...!” She opened her eyes, and straightened up. “I have a report.” Bea said, “Human, fifty feet underground. They seem to be going through an underground passage, and are surrounded by a wind spell. I assume this is to block Demonic Energy from consuming them.”

“It’s probably because of me.” Asmodeia thought to herself, before looking at the two. “We will follow this human, under the guise of assignment.” She stated, “For all we know, it might be an Order scout, seeing as our own spotted an army of humans a hundred kilometers north this morning. They might have gathered intel, and are en route to delivering valuable information to the army.”

“Understood, Commander.” The two of them said. Amellia tightened the straps on her buckler whilst Bea began stretching, making Asmodeia smile a little. She trained them well.

“If they are traversing an underground passage, then that means there is an exit, and I intend to find out where.” She told the two, before turning to Bea. “Bea, I want you to take point. Make sure to give me periodic reports in case something changes.” The Golem nodded, and Asmodeia turned to Amellia.

“I know it’s hard, abandoning combat for pleasure since our new Queen has arisen.” She told the Lizardman, “But I want you to make seduction a priority over combat. We aren’t here to kill anymore, alright?”

Amellia nodded, albeit with a bit of hesitation. “...I will do my best, Commander.” She replied.

 

**~~~~~**

  
Travolc had reached the end of the passageway after a gruelling two hours spent underground. He was drenched in sweat from head to toe, though he was otherwise fine. He motioned his hands at the ground above him, and the earth moved, revealing an exit that he could use.  
He smiled at himself, “Cheers to the new world.” He whispered to himself before climbing out of the hole, the screech of a hawk being heard overhead. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem bothered by the rucksack that added a considerable weight to his being, and moved fairly quickly.

Once outside, Travolc took in the morning air with a deep breath, before stretching his body and yawning. With a smile on his face, the ex-Monster Researcher took his first steps into the new frontier. Or so he would, if he didn’t notice the presence of a blade being trained at him.

“Don’t move.” A female’s voice said behind him. With the presence of the sword not dissipating, the woman spoke again. “State your identity, occupation, and allegiance.” She ordered. There was no hesitation.

“Travolc of Lescatie. I am an ex-Monster researcher now traveller, and have formerly sided with the Order.” He returned her attitude with a short, but concise reply of his own.

“An ex-member of the Order?” The woman said, “Are you aware of the army at the north?” She asked him. Travolc figured he’d lie as little as possible. Aside from some special people, nobody knows his work history. At least, the complete version of it.

“No, miss. I was simply taking advantage of an opportunity to research Mamono up close, now that my home has been effectively turned into a Demon Realm.”

There was a short silence wherein Travolc’s mind wandered to whether he was going to get stabbed, or raped. He didn’t dare move however, as making the wrong decision might escalate the situation. He was about to assume that they already left him, as strange as said assumption was for what he thinks were Mamono, when a softer, yet firm voice spoke.

“You may turn around.” The syrupy sweetness in the woman’s voice left Travolc thinking without a doubt that it was a succubus who was talking to him. Why he hasn’t been pushed to the ground yet is a mystery. Maybe she wanted to do him in while facing her, he didn’t know. Nevertheless, he complied.

“So, Lescatie falling was your chance to start over and research Mamono hmm?” The succubus said, which Travolc barely registered. He’d seen Succubi before, but never properly. He was chased down every time he was seen by her kind after all, which further adds to his confusion as to why they weren’t attacking him.

Travolc shook his head, snapping himself out of his apparent trance. “To sum it up, yes. It’s exactly as you say, Miss...uh…” He paused, trying to coax a name out of the succubus. She however, was already issuing orders to her subordinates the moment he confirmed what his intentions were. Her subordinates seem to be a Golem, and a Lizardman with periwinkle scales and armor that matched its color.

He let himself indulge in the succubus’ beauty in a bit while their attention wasn’t directed at him. She had curves that practically screamed “woman” which was common to her race, so Travolc’s attention didn’t stay there for too long. She had long, white hair that flowed down to her hips, whose tips ended in the color black. She had three pairs of curved horns that formed a helmet of sorts, its scales starting from a shade of palatinate that quickly blended into black.

Her mauve-colored eyes held that seductive glint that was common to her race, yet he also saw a kind of fierceness and rigidity that were exclusive to veterans of the battlefield which surprised him. She wore black, leather clothes that exposed the line on her back, ending at a substitute for panties that hugged her bottom tightly. Travolc suspected it was the same degree of exposure at the front.

This was accompanied by her wings and tail, that shared the same kind of color scheme as her horns. Overall, the succubus’ beauty was further accentuated by her unique traits. In fact, he was so entranced that he didn’t hear said subject of interest talking to him until she snapped her fingers in his face.

That snapped him out of his trance. “S-Sorry. What were you saying again?” He asked, hoping that she didn’t notice him staring.

“We’ve decided to let you go.” The succubus said, earning a very dumbfounded look from Travolc. After a moment, she sighed before adding, “We’ve got a large force of your Order friends down north of here, and figured we’d conserve our energy than take you in. Sure, we might have the advantage in the numbers if we did fight you, but you’re an ex-Order member stationed in Lescatie. We don’t know what you’re capable of either, since the only one with the documents of Lescatie’s army is Lady Druella.”

“Druella… One of the Lilim.” Travolc wanted to say he was weak, but figured that might produce unwanted results. He opted for a different reply instead, “What’s your condition?” He asked the succubus, earning him a smile.

“Smart boy~” She said, leaning a bit towards him before standing straight. “We’ll need to escort you to the border of Lescatie, just to keep an eye on you. Sure, we’re letting you off, but we’d rather play safe.” She explained.

“I’ll need names, at least.” Travolc replied.

“The Golem is mine, her name is Bea. Amellia is my right hand, and I’m Asmodeia, the commander of this excessively small unit.” She said, enthusiastically holding out her hand.

“Right. Travolc, ex-Order member and a former Monster researcher. Currently a novice traveler, as well as an aspiring Mamono scholar.” Travolc said, shaking her hand with his own gloved one. The more he talked to them, the less they seem like the Mamono he’s observed at the town. Maybe they have more control?

“Nice to meet you. Oh, by the way Travolc…~” In a flash, Asmodeia pulled Travolc to her, and dipped him low to the ground. “If we ever see the faintest trace of you betraying our trust, we won’t hesitate to fight you and push you down. We’re really eager for some fun since all three of us haven’t fed in a while, so don’t tempt us~” She warned him with a low, husky voice.

He looked at her two subordinates out of the corner of his eye, and he could see that Asmodeia wasn’t kidding. The way the two eyed him made him feel like a piece of meat, or a sex toy, to be more specific. “Y-Yes, ma’am.” Travolc replied, feeling chills shooting up his spine right until she stood him up.

 

“Alright, lead the way!” She said with a smile, though it garnered a confused frown from Travolc.

“You’ve...never been outside the capital?” He asked all of them, and they replied with a shake of their heads.

“We transported here via teleportation.” The Lizardman said.

“Teleportation. Of course you did.” He said. “Mamono, why they get all the convenient stuff?” He bitterly asked himself as he adjusted his pack, and wordlessly started going down the beaten path, his new companions following in suit.

It wasn’t really what he pictured as his first, non-sexual encounter with the Mamono, but beggars can’t be choosers. It’s one step towards his research, at the very least. With that assurance in his mind, Travolc once again took his first steps, proper ones this time, into the new age. What awaits him? He didn’t know, but he’s pretty eager to find out.


	2. Sharing Thoughts And Lurking Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Travolc and Asmodeia have a little talk about how each view the changes that the Demon Lord has done while the company set up for their first night under the stars, unaware of the threat that stalks them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is appreciated, as always. Hope you enjoy!

**2.**

 

The party had been travelling for awhile now, to the point where the night was about to settle in. For Travolc, he was merely glad they didn’t encounter anyone along the way that would deter them from reaching their destination. They met a few merchants along the way, and they were able to buy some additional wares for the trek like suitably sized cloth fit for a single tent. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to mind a company of three Mamonos and a human, and simply treated business as business.

“...I think we should camp around here and wait out the night.” Travolc suggested, looking at the sky as its fiery red hue became slowly painted over by a cool indigo, the stars beginning to wink at them from above. “While we’ve met no actual people to give us trouble, it is foolish to assume we could brave the darkness without a werebeast or an elf.”

“The dark is also the stage for ambushes…” Asmodeia, who followed closely behind, murmured to herself. “...Alright. Let’s find a suitable place to set up camp, get some wood to make our tent and campfire, and recover our energy.” She said, before looking at her subordinates. “Amellia, I’ll leave getting game to you. Bea, look for nearby sources of water.”

“Affirmative.” Was Bea’s sole reply as her eyes glowed, and she dashed towards the west.

“Roger. But, uhm, Commander…” Amellia said, scratching her head a little. “What will you be doing?” She asked.

Travolc saw Asmodeia’s eyes flicker to him for a moment, before replying. “Travolc hasn’t actually asked me about anything for his research, so I figured we’d get to that while we take care of getting the wood.” She said, now fully turning to him, to which Travolc nodded in understanding.

He didn’t waste time with what he wanted to do, and already launched his passion project by interviewing Amellia and Bea along the way, putting extra emphasis what changed since they’ve become Mamono. Travolc definitely got his answers, but stayed away from questions that from his previous profession, might be very personal to ask about.

 

Amellia nodded without question, and bowed, before marching away to get some food. Travolc smiled a little at that. It was like he was seeing an eager junior go through their first days of Paladin training, though the happy memories end there. He turned to Asmodeia, suggesting that they should get that firewood soon, as it was turning dark. 

“Don’t worry, I can see just fine during nighttime.” She replied, before remembering what that meant for Travolc. “Oh, right… Well, let’s head to that forest over there.” She said, pointing towards the north. There was indeed a forest there, and by the looks of it, it extends to the mountains beyond. “I mean if we’re getting wood, might as well go to where a lot of trees are, right?”

Travolc simply nodded. “Right.” And with that, they headed towards the woods. It was quiet all the while, but it was a comfortable silence. It felt strange to Travolc really. Out of everyone he could’ve been walking in peace with, it was a succubus.

 

Back in the old days, succubi were some of the most feared monsters by humankind. They weren’t that strong, nor as magically adept as Baphomets and the like, but they were good at manipulation. They mess with your psyche, and are good drawing you in during your moment of weakness, before draining you of your soul to strengthen themselves. It didn’t matter if you were male or female too. If you catch their fancy, and they were to catch you, you’re good as dead. Speaking of souls…

“Asmodeia?” Travolc called out to his companion. The succubus stopped, and turned to look at him, silently asking him if there was anything wrong.

“Since the rise of the new Demon Lord, do succubi…?” He phrased his words carefully, trying not to sound offensive to her. At the very least, he had to make sure.

“Still devour souls?” She completed the thought for him, and he nodded. “No. Most of what was considered a ‘killing trait’ for monsters were removed to encourage us all to seek out men, start a family, and repopulate.” Asmodeia explained. “While we haven’t lost the strength or magic each monster had, it is an absolute decree that we use these all in pursuit of suitable husbands. Which, in my opinion, is pretty nice.”

“Pretty nice on paper, sadly.” Travolc said with a sigh. “With the playing field being changed so abruptly, it only caused a lot of confusion on our side as our enemies suddenly had the traits and sex drive of a succubus.” He told her as they entered the forest. He cast Faerie Light on the lantern that hung to his waist belt before continuing. “As far we know, the Demon Lord merely proposed a new way of taking over the entirety of humanity, and we don’t know how to deal with it.”

Asmodeia muttered something, and two hatchets emerged on her hand, handing the other one to Travolc. They began looking for suitable trees to chop down. “What’s so bad about being married to a monster?” She asked. “For most of the Mamono, you’re taken care of, your sexual desires are continually satisfied, and you’re turned into an incubi so you can further the love with your partner. Basically, you’re set for life.”

 

“That’s the thing, though.” Travolc said. He paused when he called Asmodeia over for spotting a good potential tree to get wood from. She took a look at it, before agreeing and they begin to chop it down. “As stupid as it sounds, humans like it more if they’re...free, in a sense. We grow as a human from the struggles we face, and while it sometimes produces unfavorable results, being able to do what we want and when we want while suffering the numerous consequences is the essence of what makes us whole.” He told her. “That doesn’t mean that we aren’t capable of love. It’s just that, the thought of being captured by a Mamono and raped most of the time until we become enamored with our captor...it just doesn’t sound right.”

They stood back after a few more swings, and watched the tree fall to the ground. Travolc agreed to carry most of the haul in exchange for Asmodeia doing the cutting of the logs with her magic, which she did. “I can see what you mean.” She admitted. “While I admit some of us Mamono can be a bit selfish, we aren’t incapable of seeing things in your eyes if you explain it properly.” She told him as the researcher simply watched her cut the wood into clean planks, good enough to last for a number of campfires. “I can bring these thoughts up with Lady Druella and see if she tells the Demon Lord, once we bring you to the border.”

 

“Thank you. If the Demon Lord truly desires coexistence instead of assimilation like I’ve heard from some sources, then this would mean a lot in terms of putting the wars behind us and strive for peace instead.” Was his reply, before bringing out a large piece of cloth from his rucksack, and wrapped it around most of the wooden planks. Travolc finished fairly fast, and cleanly to boot.

“For a former Order member, you’re surprisingly open towards coexistence.” Asmodeia said as she took the rest without any effort at all, and they began heading back to their meeting spot. “I figured you didn’t like us at all, and was just finding a way to sell us off to your fellow knights in the north.” She said.

“I hate monsters, but not Mamono.”

“What’s the difference?”

Travolc paused for a moment, “...You don’t have to look like a monster to be one.” He said, Asmodeia sensing a weird weight on those words. “Plus, I just had a lot of time to think.” He added, and the slight heaviness was gone.

“I see…” She said, falling quiet as they exited the woods and were on the fields again. Travolc didn’t get to interview her for his research, but the succubus felt like she got to know a little about him, which more than made up for it. At the very least, he wasn’t going to kill them in their sleep.

 

**~~~~~**

 

It was well into the night when the party had finished setting up camp near the riverbank of an unnamed body of water, many thanks to Bea. Asmodeia and Amellia were fixing the tent, making sure that the cloth they bought won’t get blown away from the slightest gusts of wind, while Bea tended to the campfire which Travolc had setup not too long ago. On top of the campfire was a steel grill which the researcher had provided, along with the beheaded body of a boar, its insides already removed by Amellia.

Travolc was sitting on a rock by the river, his lantern lit. He was scribbling across his book again, which became a mix of a journal and his research notes. Ideally, he’d have brought one more se he could segregate them, but he couldn’t afford to bring any other book except this one that was previously empty up until this morning. He burned everything he had for a reason.

He didn’t mind telling most people that he was a Monster Researcher, though what that actually meant was a secret that he was prepared to defend with his life. Only those at the top of the Order knew, and he was willing to keep it that way.

 

Travolc nibbled his lip, “Aside from an increased sex drive, a feminine figure, and a desire to mate with human men, a Mamono isn’t all that different from a monster.” He murmured. “Killing humans on sight isn’t their primary motive anymore too, so that’s a good thing. However, it would make sense that they’d still kill to defend their own lives if it ever was in danger, so there’s no sense in thinking about that. However…” The researcher continued his musing as he wrote on his book once more.

Amellia was looking at Travolc from afar. She had finished setting up the tent with Asmodeia, and was sitting down at the campfire along with everyone but the researcher. The tent was only large enough to fit three at a time, meaning that one would have to take watch.

“Catch your fancy?” Amellia jolted at the voice, and turned in a flustered panic towards Asmodeia. She had a playful smile on her face.

The Lizardman sighed, her heart still beating fast from being surprised. The succubus always had the knack of disguising her presence, whether accidentally or on purpose.

“He just seems...strange.” Was her simple reply.

Asmodeia raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?” She asked.

“There is this...stench to him.” Amellia told her leader. “For someone who researched monsters, he gives off this awful air of foreboding about him. Like touching Travolc could mean death.”

 

This made Asmodeia frown. Sure, Travolc had the lingering scent of a murderer on him, but he was with the Order up until Lescatie’s fall. He was bound to have their smell on him, especially if his research brought him to the front lines. 

“I appreciate your concern Amellia, but you have nothing to worry about.” She reassured the Lizardman. “Bea had noted me of his scent earlier as well, but isn’t that normal for a man who was from the Order?” She asked her.

Amellia looked over to Bea, who was listening in on their conversation. She gave a silent nod at the Lizardman’s questioning eyes, making the latter sigh. “Perhaps...I was overthinking things.” She said. “I shall apologize for doubting him when he returns.”

 

“Good! Also-” Asmodeia smiled, clapping her eyes before she felt a tingle shoot through her body. Her initially cheerful expression dropped as she looked up at the sky, spotting the faintest trace of magic travelling through the air.

“Quite a breeze tonight, huh?” Amellia told Bea, who nodded again. The Lizardman tore a leg from the boar and began eating when Bea spoke.

“Isn’t the wind a bit...chilly?” She asked, confirming Asmodeia’s suspicions. As if on cue, Travolc arrived at the campfire, urgency written all over his face.

“You three need to hide.” He told them. “Someone, or something, just threw out a detection spell up north.” Amellia quickly swallowed the food that was left in her mouth, and drew her sword. Bea’s eyes glowed green, and her magic circuits came to life. In a heartbeat, the atmosphere’s tension ramped to a hundred.

“What about you?” Asmodeia asked Travolc. “You seem confident that whoever did that can be reasoned with.” The spell was of a Basic grade, meaning that at the very least, they only know of their numbers, which gave her some relief.

“With the incident at Lescatie, I am fairly confident that these are Order scouts.” He explained. “At the very least, a lot of unnecessary problems can be avoided if they saw a human at this camp instead of Mamono.” Travolc reasoned with her.

 

Asmodeia bit her lip, thinking about it for a moment. Avoiding a conflict is the best way out of this situation, and judging from Travolc’s words earlier, Mamono are still monsters to humans. They would not hesitate to kill them on sight. “You have a point. It wouldn’t be to our benefit to attract unwanted attention.” She replied, turning to Amellia and Bea, who were waiting on her orders. “We’ll hide somewhere nearby, and I’ll conceal our presence with a barrier. We are to assist Travolc in case something goes wrong.”

“Orders received.” Amellia nodded. “I’ll try not to kill anyone if it comes down to it.”

“Entering Combat Mode, on standby.” Bea followed up.

“Be safe.” Asmodeia told Travolc, who nodded before the former and her subordinates vanished into the woods. Travolc turned back towards the campfire, and walked over to where his bag was. Attached at the bag’s side was a brown leather strap which had a metal clasp, three pouches sewn to it, as well as an implement attached that was meant to hold a scabbard.

 

Travolc picked it up, and secured the strap through the loops present in his waist belt, its pouches settling behind his back while the implement was at his right side. He crouched down, opened his rucksack, and began rummaging through his things for something. After a moment, Travolc brought out what he was looking for, and his eyes hardened at the sight of it. It was a dagger held by a sheath made of dragon scales.

 

“Didn’t think I’d be fighting again so soon.” He said as he brought out the weapon. It was a rondel dagger, specially made to combat armored enemies. The dagger was the only weapon he allowed himself to take when he “retired” from the Order, and opted to hide the rest in a place no one would ever think to find. It had a brown, mahogany hilt and a circular cross guard that helped stop a parried blade, as well as aid him in exerting a lot more force when stabbing. The pommel was simply a smaller version of the crossguard, and the “blade” resembled an ice pick, a circular piece of steel that converged into a single point.

Travolc looked at his weapon for a while before sighing. He stood up, and fastened the sheath to the left side of his strap, before walking over to the campfire and sitting down. He began to wonder why the Order’s knights, assuming that the company who casted the scouting spell were, were so far out from the main army. It didn’t make sense that they’d be sending scouts so far out from the main army to hunt for Mamono, since all of them were back in the capital.

 

“ **Basic Wind Spell** : Seeker’s Sight, a spell that causes wind to blow outwards in a circumference around the user, using sound waves as feedback. It isn’t that good of a spell, especially since detection can be avoided by using something as simple as Gust Globe.” He murmured to himself. He assumed that they were a detachment from the main army, and somehow saw that a group of Mamono suddenly started travelling with a human. If that was true, then under normal circumstances, he should’ve been able to at least get a faint feeling of being watched. At this moment, he looked up, and what he saw made his blood run cold. There was a hawk circling around his general area, but that wasn’t what made him stiffen.

 

Hawks aren’t nocturnal hunters. 

 

“ **Basic Fire Spell** : Boura Pektao!”

 

Flames erupted around Travolc before shooting up and homed in towards the hawk, incinerating it. Travolc simply stood up after, drawing his dagger as he soon heard the sound of steel footfalls approaching him. 

“Ah, man. I spent months perfecting that one.” He could hear a rather arrogant voice from the trio of Knights that emerged from the darkness, the flames of the campfire reflecting of their steel plates. As he expected, they were fully armored and their faces were covered by their helmets, making it impossible to identify them. If he had any clue as to their rank and their power, it would be the fact that they all wore black capes that were gilded with gold, a uniform of one of the factions in the Order. A faction that was known for carrying out jobs specialized in minimizing the number of humans who “defected” over to the monsters', now Mamono's side, or so they claim.

An explosion rang out behind Travolc, making him look in the direction of the forest, right by the spot where Asmodeia and the other two were supposed to be hiding. He had miscalculated their numbers. The sound of an ensuing battle and steel confirmed his fears of the three being chased as he made towards the woods, only to be stopped when an impossibly high wall of flame erupted in front of him. He turned around, and saw that the Knight on his left had their hand out.

“Fire Wall. I don’t think I need to tell you what element it is.” A woman’s voice came from the Knight, before lowering her hand.

“Quick Casting…” Travolc muttered. It was a spell enhancement unique to humans suitable to be mages, and Mamono who have high magic affinity.

“Fellow human. Or should I say, conspirator.” The Knight in the center stepped forward with a booming voice, drawing his two-hander that began glowing green. “By order of the Black Guillotine, we have personally witnessed your fall from grace as you sided with monsters. Your penalty, is death.” It declared.

“Sorry, kid. But you made the wrong choice to side with those things just because their appearance changed.” The Knight on the right, who the arrogant voice belonged to, brought out an axe that was coated in ice, and a buckler. At the same time, the female Knight finally brought out her staff that was aflame at the tip, solidifying the fact that she specializes in fire magic. “Don’t worry. We’ll make it quick.” He added.

 

Travolc scowled as he settled into a battle stance. He was well aware that he was at a disadvantage in both arms, and numbers, but he had no choice. He isn’t keen on ending his dream when he just started, so he has to win. All he prays for was that hopefully, Asmodeia and the others are okay.


End file.
